In Michigan, Obama Says Right to Work Is ‘Right to Earn Less Money’

President Obama today slammed the Michigan Republicans' and Gov. Rick Snyder’s (R) drive to ram through so-called right to work bills that Obama said, “[d]on't have to do with economics. They have everything to do with politics."

What they're talking about is giving you the right to make less money….What we shouldn't be doing is try to take away your rights to bargain for better wages or working conditions.

Speaking at a truck engine manufacturing plant in Redford, Mich., Obama said, "You only have to look to Michigan, where workers were instrumental in reviving the auto industry, to see how unions have helped build not just a stronger middle class but a stronger America."

We don’t want a race to the bottom. We want a race to the top. America’s not going to compete based on low skills, low wage, no workers’ rights. That’s not our competitive advantage. There’s always going to be some other country that can treat its workers even worse.

Last week, the Obama administration reiterated the president’s long-standing opposition of so-called right to work laws and, specifically, the current battle in Michigan.

The president believes our economy is stronger when workers get good wages and good benefits, and he opposes attempts to roll back their rights. Michigan— and its workers' role in the revival of the U.S. automobile industry—is a prime example of how unions have helped build a strong middle class and a strong American economy.